Uncategorized

HEART

A DIVIDED HEART – ALL YOUR HEART – SPIRIT – SOUL- BODY – MIND – MARROW – JOINTS – EMOTIONS – What do all these words mean and how can we interpret them in the written word of God?

   Well, this is what I asked our Father when I wanted understanding on them.  He answered me over a course of a few years.  He likes to answer these kinds of questions.  Did you know when a teacher teaches, if you can grasp what they are sharing, it saves you all the time it took them to seek for the truth on any given subject?  So, I always pray for those who read my articles that God will give them awakened ears to hear what they read.

   The teaching on the heart was a class I taught many times to homeless people.  We served some 4000 over a 7-year period.  I mention it, only to say the following: Of all the teachings I did over this 7-year period, this one got the most positive responses.  People often said, I know what to do with myself now, or that sure helped me to understand myself.  That was so interesting.  

   I’ve experienced that people without a lot of preconceived ideas on certain subjects, easily receive.  Sometimes our (me included) spiritually educated minds kick against the pricks when our Father wants us to change our thinking, or add to our education.  The article I wrote on this website on water baptism is just such a case.  I also taught this class in our own rented house (remember Paul?) to people who had no spiritual depth and they grasped it immediately.  It’s just simply taught from Scripture by a simple person, and we had more water baptisms in our twin cities of Centralia/Chehalis WA. than all the churches in the area combined.  That was in the late 80’s and early 90’s.

   Over the years, I never knew if anyone else had discovered what the heart is or not, but because I was asked to teach this class last night (Year – 2021), I pondered that again and decided to check the web to see if I could find out.  I did find out!  It was the first article I clicked on.  I did not need that second witness, but I know God does not work in dark corners, so it was nice to find it.

   We all know that man is made up of Spirit, Soul, and Body because Paul said, May God Himself, the God of peace sanctify you wholly (your whole person) and then he expressed this: praying our whole spirit, soul, and body would be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

   I have 2 charts to share with you today.  The first one gives us a look at what happens to our spirit when we receive Jesus, as well as what happens afterward in our soul and our body.

   SPIRIT – TRANSLATED – IMMEDIATELY – PAST EXPERIENCE
   Colossians 1:13: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.

   SOUL – TRANSFORMED – PROGRESSION – PRESENT EXPERIENCE
   Romans 12:2: And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

   BODY – MORTIFIED –  PREDESTINATED REDEMPTION – FUTURE EXPERIENCE 
   Romans 8:13: For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die, but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body; ye shall live. 

   Now, let’s throw the word HEART into this mix:

   1st Peter 3:3-4: Do not let your adornment be merely the outward arranging of the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel.  But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. 

   Ok, so first, there is a hidden man of the heart.  It is not corruptible.

   What is in a believer that is not corruptible?  Selah ~ (Pause and think about it)   Inside each of us is a man, a hidden man, an incorruptible man.  Hmmm, is this man the Spirit of Christ that we became one with when we received Him.  Yes, I believe so!  This also tells us the Spirit is masculine.

   Can you see then, that our Sspirit is part of the heart: the hidden man of the heart ~ Not the belly as some would suppose; belly is a figurative word that points to the heart.  You will find that in the Exhaustive Strong’s concordance.  Recall that Jesus taught about words not meaning what they say, but they point to something spiritual, like birds meaning Satan and seed meaning the word of God.  Many times, words in the bible point to something else they really mean.  How do you think people hear and see but do not hear and see?  They hear and see the natural part, but they do not see and hear the spiritual meaning. So, now can you also see that our spirit is part of the heart?

   Hebrews 4:12: For the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the point of the division of soul and spirit, and between the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  

   Since we know that thoughts and intents (mind and will) come out of the soul, why didn’t this scripture say soul instead of heart.  Selah ~ This shows us that the soul is part of the heart.  Thank you for this scripture, Lord.

   This is the comment I found on the web when I checked to see if anyone else had this same understanding of the “heart”.  “The soul and the spirit are mysteriously tied together and make up what the Scriptures call the “heart.”  You may find this comment on the web in an article titled: What are the three parts of man?

   Thus, we see 1st Peter 3-4 and Hebrews 4:12 gives us the picture of the spirit and the soul making up the heart.  

    Here is our second chart then:

                                                              HEART

                                           SPIRIT                           SOUL

                                           MARROW                      JOINTS

                               Thoughts and intents come out of the heart.

             The “soul” man is not hidden.  We see him every time a man speaks.

   Now, do you see how one can have a divided heart?  And we all do, until the soul has submitted to what is, as a believer, written on our spirit.  God wrote His word on our heart (Sspirit) when He translated us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son.  I write Ss to demonstrate our own intertwined spirits with Jesus Christ.

    (Here-in is the mystery of marriage. This is so exciting!)  Remember, the Spirit is a masculine gender word and the soul is a feminine gender word.  Ephesians 5:22-23 Wives submit to your own husband AS to the Lord.  For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.  This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and His church.  Christ is in your spirit ( male) and you are His church (female.) Individually and collectively.

   When the soul submits to the spirit, there is oneness, unity. This is becoming fully one with Him.

   Each of us are formed like God, both male and female.  He demonstrated Himself in the natural, forming a man and a woman for us to see His image with our eyes.  However, what most believers have not realized is that He also formed a man and a woman within each person, which we can only see by His Spirit.  Person is a sign word that points to God’s image, male and female.  Some say God took the female part out of Adam, but that is not completely true.  He took a rib out of Adam and formed a female in the natural, because, as I wrote, we all have a male (spirit) and female (soul) within us. 

   What does God use now that causes the Soul to reunite with the Spirit in us?  Selah ~ We now have the Holy Spirit and the written word to unite the spirit and soul.  The same thing that divided our heart, (the spirit and soul) will now reunite it.  

   So, let’s talk about another exciting word.  The Joint!  A joint connects something.  Think of it this way.  You have two pipes you want to connect, so you get a connector.  Now, water never begins at the connector; it just receives the water from either end of the pipe.  

   So, what does this word joint point to?  It is a sign word.  It points to the soul!

   What does the soul connect?  Selah ~ It connects the Spirit and the flesh.  This means the soul is a receiver.  It receives whatever comes from the flesh or the Spirit and decides what it chooses to respond to.  The word flesh is two-fold, meaning carnal mind or body.  Webster does not attribute the words carnal mind as flesh, but merely the body, however, the Strong’s uses carnal mind and body as flesh.  More on this below.

   So, our challenge is to connect the soul (mind and will) to the Sspirit) I use Ss to represent Jesus in me/us!  When we have a united heart (Sspirit and soul), we have His mind and are doing His will.  Now, do you see how we can have a united heart?

   For the most part, the church has taught that emotions are in the soul.  It is true, that our soul feels emotion, however, those emotions do not originate in the soul.  They originate either in the flesh or the Spirit. In speaking of the carnal mind as flesh, it has its own thoughts, but it is also up to your soul to decide if it will act upon those thoughts.  But, when the body is referred to as flesh, it is speaking of the emotions that originate from the flesh. I am sure you have heard the saying: “the flesh has a mind of its’ own.”  It literally does. 

   To more fully understand this, I am including part of an article from this book titled Autobiography Devotional Day on Day 52: FLESH vs SPIRIT.

   Galatians 5:17a For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other.

   “OK, you are now ready My friend.  We cannot travel any further without more instruction.  It is time to understand what to do with your feelings.  Feelings originate in the flesh or in the Spirit.  I know you were taught that the soul is the mind, will, and emotions (feelings), but what you were not taught was that the emotions or feelings do not begin in the mind.  Your mind simply receives the feelings and makes choices concerning them  Oh, you feel it in your soul, but it does not originate in the mind or will.

   Think of it like this: Your mind is like a connector between two pipes.  The source of the water in the pipe can come from either end, but not from the mind itself.  The mind is just the connector between the Spirit and the flesh.  It is a receiver.

   Your flesh is not who you are, so choose wisely, and do not yield to the “feelings of the flesh.”  Feelings that are contrary to my word are never born of My Spirit.  They are born of the flesh.  They war against My Spirit.  They do not beget life.

   I have feelings.  Feelings born of My Spirit, bring life.  Choose to yield to the feelings that originate from My Spirit; I am their Source.  The feelings born of My love are born of strength and will produce good fruit.  I am merciful, I weep, I groan, I am joyful, I get angry, and have compassion.  Yes, I have all these emotions, and more.

   Pay attention, the lights are bright enough now for you to see the giants that affect your flesh.  We will subdue what is not born of My Spirit, and we will conquer everything that is contrary to My word.  I want to see you face to face.  I want you to be like Me.  I want you to be so identified with Me, that your interests are paramount with mine.

   Will you choose to follow the Spirit or the flesh?”  
   I am forever,
   Your Choice, Jesus

   “My Choice!  Well, that sure simplified a tough subject.  Now, I will be able to see clearly enough to make a quality choice.  You make this so simple.  It is this complex mind of mine that gets in the way.

   I just had to peek at how science might view this.  I know science is always changing, so please don’t rebuke me on this one; I promise; I do not hold what science says above Your word.

   When I researched this, I was pleasantly surprised.  Science agrees with You.

   Here is what science had to say; Emotion is believed to be generated from a physical source and the part of the brain responsible for the limbic system, which is made up of several structures located in the cerebral cortex.  These structures register the levels of chemicals called neurotransmitters, being manufactured by the body in response to certain conditions the person is experiencing.  To give an example, a much greater level of serotonin than normal is produced when a person is in love, eating chocolate, or taking ecstasy.  The brain registers this increased level, and the result is a feeling we associate with happiness.

   Again, when I researched this, I knew it made perfect sense as far as the body is concerned, because the same thing is true of alcohol; many times, someone drinks alcohol to feel better.  That feeling begins in the flesh and is received in the mind.  When the Spirit ministers, it is received by the same mind, but from a Source that brings life. 

   Choices – it truly is about choices.  You have told us to receive life…So, I will!  Thank You for Your word.  There is nothing, absolutely nothing, like Your word.  Amen.”

   Now, if all this wasn’t enough, I must share one more thing with you or this will not be complete.  

   Sometimes when the Bible uses the word soul, it is NOT talking about our mind and will, so we must look in context to rightly divide it.  This is because sometimes when the Bible says soul, it is talking about the WHOLE person, spirit, soul, and body.

   Genesis says, “and man became a living soul.”  The word soul in this case is “being’ and is so translated in the Lamsa Bible.  It means our entire person.  If it had meant just the soul (mind and will,) the body would not have come alive also.

   To finish, let’s use just one scripture to demonstrate the need to look in context when the Bible uses the word “heart.”  1st John 3:20: For if our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.  

   What condemns us, our spirit man, or our mind? Selah ~ If it you answered mind, then you understand that this word “hearts” is referring to our soul. 

   So, now do you think you can have the confidence to interpret “heart” when you read the Scriptures?   I purposely submitted this article to that end.

   CHALLENGE: Spend one day paying attention to each feeling you experience.  Decide if it comes from the flesh or the Spirit.  

   I SURE HOPE THIS HELPS SOMEONE, BONNIE

 

2 thoughts on “HEART”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *